Gunzelin, Margrave of Meissen
Encyclopedia
Gunzelin of Kuckenburg was the Margrave of Meissen from 1002 until 1009. He was the second son of Gunther of Merseburg, younger brother of Eckard I of Meissen
, and half-brother of Boleslaus I of Poland.
In 1002, following Eckard's failed attempt at the throne and subsequent assassination, Boleslaus occupied Meissen, but the new King Henry IV forced him to leave it and accept the March of Lusatia instead. Lusatia was thus detached from Meissen, which was bestowed on Gunzelin at Boleslaus' demand.
In Autumn 1004, Gunzelin took part in Henry's successful siege of Burg Budusin, near Bautzen
, which had been occupied by the Poles in 1002. It is reported by Thietmar of Merseburg
that the castle would have been rased if not for Gunzelin's insistence that the Poles be allowed to depart freely and the castle preserved. The retreating Poles, however, devastated parts of his march. Gunzelin thereafter resided in Budusin.
Gunzelin feuded with his nephews, Herman
and Eckard II
, in what was one of 11th-century Germany's ugliest civil wars. The feud concerned "the insult and humiliation entailed in taking and destroying a fortified residence." It also concerned the allegation that Gunzelin had sold captured Wends to the Jews
as slaves. The slave trade in Slavs was a large issue in northeastern Germany at the time. Sometimes even fellow Germans were enslaved. Most slaves were the product of capture in war. The Church, however, largely opposed the slave trade: Thietmar railed against the "barbaric" practice the Saxons had shown of dividing up families in order to sell them.
Gunzelin and Boleslaus maintained friendly relations until 1009, when the former was deposed by Henry on suspicion of an alliance with Boleslaus against him. He had travelled to Merseburg
for a Fürstentag
, where he was arrested and handed over to the safekeeping of the Arnulf, Bishop of Halberstadt. Gunzelin was imprisoned for eight years in the farming village of Ströbeck
in the Archdiocese of Magdeburg and his office bestowed on his nephew. He spent his imprisonment playing chess
and teaching it to the local people. Released in 1017, he died soon thereafter.
Eckard I, Margrave of Meissen
Eckard I was Margrave of Meissen from 985 until his death, the first margrave of the Ekkehardinger family that dominated Meissen until the extinction of the line in 1046.-Life:...
, and half-brother of Boleslaus I of Poland.
In 1002, following Eckard's failed attempt at the throne and subsequent assassination, Boleslaus occupied Meissen, but the new King Henry IV forced him to leave it and accept the March of Lusatia instead. Lusatia was thus detached from Meissen, which was bestowed on Gunzelin at Boleslaus' demand.
In Autumn 1004, Gunzelin took part in Henry's successful siege of Burg Budusin, near Bautzen
Bautzen
Bautzen is a hill-top town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and administrative centre of the eponymous district. It is located on the Spree River. As of 2008, its population is 41,161...
, which had been occupied by the Poles in 1002. It is reported by Thietmar of Merseburg
Thietmar of Merseburg
Thietmar of Merseburg was a German chronicler who was also bishop of Merseburg.-Life:...
that the castle would have been rased if not for Gunzelin's insistence that the Poles be allowed to depart freely and the castle preserved. The retreating Poles, however, devastated parts of his march. Gunzelin thereafter resided in Budusin.
Gunzelin feuded with his nephews, Herman
Herman I, Margrave of Meissen
Herman I was the Margrave of Meissen from 1009 until his death. He was the eldest son of Eckard I of Meissen and Swanehilde.Herman married Regelinda, daughter of Boleslaus I of Poland. In 1007, he was created Count of Bautzen. He and his brother Eckard II feuded with their uncle Gunzelin in what...
and Eckard II
Eckard II, Margrave of Meissen
Eckard II was the margrave of Meissen from 1038 until his death, succeeding his brother, Herman I. His line was descended from Eckard I...
, in what was one of 11th-century Germany's ugliest civil wars. The feud concerned "the insult and humiliation entailed in taking and destroying a fortified residence." It also concerned the allegation that Gunzelin had sold captured Wends to the Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
as slaves. The slave trade in Slavs was a large issue in northeastern Germany at the time. Sometimes even fellow Germans were enslaved. Most slaves were the product of capture in war. The Church, however, largely opposed the slave trade: Thietmar railed against the "barbaric" practice the Saxons had shown of dividing up families in order to sell them.
Gunzelin and Boleslaus maintained friendly relations until 1009, when the former was deposed by Henry on suspicion of an alliance with Boleslaus against him. He had travelled to Merseburg
Merseburg
Merseburg is a town in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx. 14 km south of Halle . It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg....
for a Fürstentag
Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)
The Imperial Diet was the Diet, or general assembly, of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire.During the period of the Empire, which lasted formally until 1806, the Diet was not a parliament in today's sense; instead, it was an assembly of the various estates of the realm...
, where he was arrested and handed over to the safekeeping of the Arnulf, Bishop of Halberstadt. Gunzelin was imprisoned for eight years in the farming village of Ströbeck
Ströbeck
Ströbeck is a small village in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, near the town Halberstadt. village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Halberstadt. It is famous as the Schachdorf , due to a long historic connection with...
in the Archdiocese of Magdeburg and his office bestowed on his nephew. He spent his imprisonment playing chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
and teaching it to the local people. Released in 1017, he died soon thereafter.
Sources
- Reuter, TimothyTimothy ReuterTimothy Alan Reuter , grandson of the former mayor of Berlin Ernst Reuter, was a German-British historian who specialized in the study of medieval Germany, particularly the social, military and ecclesiastical institutions of the Ottonian and Salian periods .Reuter received his D.phil from Oxford in...
. Germany in the Early Middle Ages 800–1056. New York: Longman, 1991. - "Gunzelin." Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, by the Historischen Kommission of the Bayrischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Band 10, Seite 181. (retrieved 5 June 2007, 20:49 UTC)